


please don't take my Sunshine away

by strictlyninja



Series: Unpolished Stone [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Eventual Drama, I'm not super with dialogue so i'm trying to play that strength, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Slow Romance, how does the rating system work, what are tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 05:02:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18381488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strictlyninja/pseuds/strictlyninja
Summary: Gaara decides that it's time for his wounds to heal and his feelings to grow. Thankfully, Lee has had to deal with injuries his whole life, and he has a lot of feelings.





	please don't take my Sunshine away

There are times when he thinks of nothing, and when he breaths, he can smell it. Sometimes he could even taste it in his mouth, when he knows he didn’t bite his tongue. The days that the panic is too deep, he feels it running through his fingers. It was something all too familiar – the red pain that he caused across his young years. He still felt it, though he made his peace among the villages. Unfortunately, even being Kage can’t take away everything. He can’t sign away his past, but it helped anyway. Individual forgiveness was hard to come by, but people tend to forgive him due to his status. It would have to do.

Some, like Naruto, took a bit of work to accept. For Gaara to accept. Some would say ‘I forgive you,’ and Gaara would take it. Naruto’s took convincing. Kakashi he flat-out doesn’t believe.

It’s not just the people that need to forgive Gaara, it’s Gaara who needs to forgive Gaara.

There was one that stood out. When Gaara closes his eyes, it doesn’t take too much thought at all for the memory to resurface. Crimson staining bright green, bones cracking and shattering, a scream that no one in the room could forget.

Gaara still scratches that inner wound, not allowing it to heal. Maybe if he doesn’t, it serves as a good reminder, a reminder that he can’t go back there under any circumstances.  
He knew one day that it had to be discussed. He couldn’t just leave it when there was a possibility that Lee was scratching that one wound too. Maybe he was scratching many. And Gaara was the root of them all. It’s amazing how the mind can work, relating all pain to one horrible moment in memory.

Gaara couldn’t let that fester.

There was one line discussed about it before, when Gaara was in a fresh mind, but his heart was only beginning to heal. He was astounded, yes, that Lee said he instantly forgave, but he was reluctant to discuss or feel further. He couldn’t. He just wasn’t ready. Even when Lee was sent to save his life, he did not take the time to speak with him. In fact, he almost outright avoided him, but now it’s something he must lay to rest.

-

He had hoped Naruto would be discreet. Naruto was the only one Gaara felt he could ask. He didn’t think Naruto would walk up to Lee, while in the middle of a large group of friends, and loudly declare that Gaara asked him to his choice of tea.

But then again… At least he meant well.

Eyes followed Lee away as he fell in step. The walk itself was silent, save for their shoes on the ground. Lee chose a local tea shop; small, good for conversation, house specials. They ordered, then spend a good few minutes fidgeting. Gaara began awkwardly.

“How-How is your training?”

Lee raised his eyebrows. Apparently, he didn’t think that would be how Gaara would start. In fact, as soon as Gaara said it, he wished he could suck it back in like air.

“Ah, that is…” Gaara felt his neck grow hot. He is the Kazekage! He eats oration for breakfast at his council table! Why is this so difficult! He could hear Kankuro’s chiding answer in the back of his mind, “because you suck at one-on-one with people, man.”

Their tea was served, and Lee took a small sip. Gaara followed suit, mostly out of nerves.

Lee gave a gentle smile. “I’d like to save you some time Kazekage-sama.”

Gaara shook his head. “That’s not necessary here.”

“Gaara-sama, then.” Lee folded his hands in a way that looked delicate, despite the scars that could be seen on the exposed tips of his fingers. “I hope I am not too bold in assuming you are here to discuss the events of the chuunin exams?”

Gaara continued to stare at the other’s hands, not meeting eyes. “Is it too late to?”

“Never. In fact, I have been wanting to speak of it too.”

Gaara looked up then. He’d been dreading this.

Lee gave him a smile that showed his white teeth, but he kept his voice low. “I’d like to thank you.”

…what?

Lee sipped his tea. “I will admit, it was a very difficult time in my life, and I sometimes did hate you for it.” He frowned, chewing words. “But I had a revelation. We all go through tests to get stronger and smarter, do we not? I now see the chuunin exams as a trial that you gave me. Gai-sensei himself told me that I failed because I do not have enough power. So, I am working hard at it, and I am very far away from where I could be, but I will get there, in time.”

Gaara did not speak. He couldn’t.

Lee sipped his tea again, saying nothing.

Gaara did not know this man. He knew him only as the vibrant green blur that was loud by default. This person, had he always been here? Quiet, soft-spoken, deliberate in his phrasing, betrayed by the scars on his hands, the colors of his clothes.

They finished their tea, they thanked each other, then parted ways.

-

Not a month later, Lee gets a letter in the mail from Gaara himself. Lee worried. Had he not been tactful? They were the words that he had turned over for years. Were they not good enough?

“Lee,  
I am coming to Konoha again next week for dealings with the Hokage. When we have finished our meeting, I’d very much like to speak with you again. Around dinnertime, my treat.

Hope to see you,  
Gaara”

Short and to the point, just like him.

Lee trained all day to keep his nerves in check. When he finally got word that Gaara was in the village, he trained all that day too. He went home and showered, not wanting to meet the Kazekage covered in the work of the day. He hopped on one foot, then the other outside of the Hokage’s business building. When Gaara came out, Lee gave a smile, and Gaara nodded to him.

“My only food preference is that I don’t appreciate sweet things.”

Erk! Lee didn’t think about food. He’s almost too nervous to eat, but he led Gaara nonetheless to a medium family restaurant. Thankfully, it wasn’t too busy.

“You seem to pick quiet places.”

They sat. “Would you rather I pick someplace louder?”

Gaara breathed out, almost like a chuckle, and shook his head. “I’m just learning about you.”

Lee’s only response was to stare intently at the menu. It was silent until their food was ordered.

It was silent again, until Lee noticed exactly what Gaara was doing.

He opened his chopsticks but set them aside. He ripped the wrapper in half and began to fold the two long strips over themselves again and again, until they made a squared, coil shape. Gaara looked up, then away almost sheepishly. “Habit.”

Lee was looking at Gaara’s fingers, then he looked to his own. He picked up his chopsticks and began to mimic what he saw. “It’s like a chopstick rest.”

Gaara breathed out again. “I never noticed, but yes, I suppose.”

Lee’s wasn’t neat as Gaara’s, but it was what it was, and he was satisfied with his work. “I must ask, Gaara-sama, but was I too rude during our last visit?”

Gaara actually chuckled this time, a sound foreign even to his own ears. “I’m sorry if you misunderstood, but I only wished to eat with you.” Gaara’s face was straight once more. “I also wanted to thank you, this time.”

Lee’s eyes searched his face. “Thank me?”

“The way that you treated me at our last visit was… not expected. I wanted to thank you for your kindness and softness. I… wanted to see it again, in truth. So thank you.”

Lee felt a light warmth across his cheeks and fiddled with his bandages. “You are welcome.” He felt the need to change the subject. “How was your visit with the Hokage? Am I allowed to ask?”

Gaara sipped his water. “It’s not a matter of security. There was a group of extremists in my village that I was repeatedly dealing with.” He sighed. “They left my village, thankfully, but now they’re starting to organize in your country, hoping to spark a war or… something.” He shrugged. “I now no longer know anything about where they are or what they plan to do, so I came to warn the Hokage, and to personally apologize. She has files on the ones I know are in the group, and I offered any assistance.”

Lee nodded. “I hope they are found before they cause any more trouble for you.”

“It’s your country that I’m worried about now.”

Their food was delivered, and they ate and spoke comfortably. They thanked each other for the time (and Lee thanked Gaara for the meal) before beginning to part ways. Lee turned back after a few steps, one last thing on his mind. “Gaara-sama!” he called.

Gaara turned as Lee came back to him.

“Perhaps, next time – well, I know you aren’t in Konoha often, but – I’d like to treat you next time. As a friend.”

Gaara pondered his face as his eyes softened. “I’d like that.”

Lee nodded, and then bowed. “Thank you again, Gaara-sama.”

Gaara smiled to him. “Good night, Lee.”

They finally parted, both feeling very light inside, despite their meal. They both had begun to heal.

**Author's Note:**

> The first conversation in the tea shop was heavily inspired by a cut scene in Ultimate Ninja Storm 3. It's almost verbatim. It was too good of a scene to change too much.  
> The paper origami chopstick holder is something that my mom does at restaurants. I thought it would be cute on Gaara. It will show up again, as it IS a habit.  
> I thought I would get more done tonight, but this took three hours and it's now 2am. Another day, adieu.


End file.
